Plan D: Military takeover in case of Duterte’s sudden departure

The recent justice committee hearings in the Senate and House of Representatives revealed and made public a lot of things that were only heard from the grapevine before. Now, these things are officially out and part of the public records, by way of the Minutes of the committee hearings.

One of these disclosures is the alleged Plan B, which is to destabilize the Duterte Administration and create a scenario to oust President Rodrigo Duterte. If this will not work, then impeach President Duterte. If all else fails, then assassinate the President. Once Duterte is gone, install Vice President Leni Robredo as the new President of the Republic.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano revived talks, this time officially during the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing, of the Liberal Party’s alleged Plan B to unseat President Duterte and replace him with Robredo.

My insight says otherwise. The supposed Plan B will not prosper and will not muster the support of the people and the military. However, even before Plan B could take off, the groundwork for “Plan D” had already been laid.

Groundwork for Plan D

What is Plan D? Plan D is the full military takeover of the government in the event of President Duterte’s sudden departure before 2022. His sudden departure could be the result of any of these things – impeachment, forced ouster by foreign states, assassination, or natural death.

On September 21, 2016, the anniversary of Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law, President Duterte visited the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) – 9th Infantry Division headquartered at Camp Elias Angeles, Camarines Sur. It has to be emphasized that Duterte is the first Philippine President to visit this base.

In fact, Duterte is the only President who visited the most number of military bases since assuming office. No other President had visited so many camps in so short a time. The record of former President Fidel V. Ramos would pale in comparison, time wise.

The President, in his visits to military camps, promised to double the pay of soldiers, give them all the equipment that they need, provide scholarships for the children of those who will die in action, and additional financial benefits, among others.

His visits to military camps have boosted the morale of soldiers. They look at him not only as their Commander-in-Chief but also as their doting and caring father. Less than a hundred days in office, President Duterte has gained the respect and the loyalty of the military.

Military to act on its own

In his speech before the 9th Infantry Brigade, the President said in part (while showing and waving the third “narco-list”), “Paano ko makaya ito? Hindi ko naman ito madampot at patayin ko. Wala iyan eh. Ayaw ko naman ng Martial Law. This will destroy your children, o yung mga apo ninyo and the next generation. Kaya tayo dito nagpapakamatay… they are not safe anymore.” (How can I handle this? I cannot just arrest them and kill them. That is nothing. I do not like Martial Law. This will destroy your children, or your grandchildren and the next generation. That is why we are ready to die … because they are not safe anymore.)

The President admitted that it is the technicality of the law that makes it hard for him to deal swiftly with the problem of illegal drugs and criminality.

He added, “if that problem outlasts me, for whatever reason, mamatay ako, matanggal, oh ano sa buhay na ito. Sinabi ko sa inyo, isa sa mga opisyal, do not, do not abandon. Resolbahin ninyo ang problema na iyan kasi sisirain ang Pilipinas niyan.” (If that problem outlasts me, for whatever reason, I died, I am removed from this life. I say to you, I said to one of your officers, do not, do not abandon it. Resolve this problem because this will destroy the Philippines.)

He ended his speech by extolling the troops to act on their own in this wise –

“Bigyan mo ng kopya ang AFP (referring to the narco-list). Bahala na kayo. Bahala na kayo. Ako hindi ko talaga alam. Kaya ko pag medyo patagalin pa ako dito, pero pagnawala ako bigla x xx bahala na kayo. Gamitin ninyo ang konsiyensa. Ayaw ninyo- ok. (Give a copy to the AFP. It is up to you. It is up to you. For me, I don’t know. I can do it if I am allowed to stay here longer. But, if I will be suddenly gone … it is all up to you. Use your conscience. You do not want it – ok. ) You do not want to make a move – fine. It’s your country. It’s my country. But, we have a problem.”

It is my opinion that if President Duterte will suddenly be gone, then the military will act on its own and take control of the government.

Sworn duty of the AFP

Section 5, Article XVI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that “All members of the armed forces shall take an oath or affirmation to uphold and defend this Constitution.” The prior Section 4 states that the AFP shall “keep a regular force necessary for the security of the State.”

So, in other words, the primary duty of the military is to secure the State and to uphold and defend the Constitution.

However, Section 3, Article II of the Constitution is more encompassing – “The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.”

Section 18 of Article VII mandates that the President, as the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines, whenever it becomes necessary, may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion.

In the simplest term, the AFP should be the protector of the people and the State, and may act on its own to uphold and defend the Constitution.

There you are. The alleged Plan B will not be successful. It will be thwarted, not by the people themselves, but by the military. The AFP and its men will heed their conscience and clean up this country. My insight tells me that Plan D is already here.
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Meanwhile, barely two weeks ago, President Duterte criticized the past administration’s purchase of 12 FA-50 fighter planes from South Korea. The President claimed that the fighter jets do not have the requisite missiles and the cannons. He added that it is only good for “ceremonial purposes.”

Taking the cue, the Anti-Trapo Movement, through its founding Chairman, Leon E. Peralta, called for a thorough review of the procurement of the FA-50 fighter jets. He believed that the FA-50’s that were procured from South Korea are essentially scaled down versions of the United States’ F-16 fighter planes. Peralta stressed that the acquisition of these fighter jets during the time of former President Aquino is largely a waste of taxpayers’ money.

The FA-50 is South Korea’s first home-built light fighter, which was originally built and assembled by Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI) in 2013. KAI envisions itself to grow into a total solution provider and global player in aerospace by 2020.

KAI claims to be the world’s sixth supersonic aircraft exporter. It has exported 24 T-50 advanced trainer aircraft to Iraq, 16 to Indonesia, four to Thailand, and 12 F-50 light attack aircraft to the Philippines.

Peralta alleged that the past administration bungled its arms procurement program. He said the fighter jets were bought at roughly $34 million each.

He insisted that the FA-50’s were overpriced.

Will the present administration investigate this? It is always a waiting game for us.
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Some readers might wonder if there is a Plan C. I will touch on this in future issues of All Insight.
Email your comments to allinsight.manilatimes@gmail.com.

Actually that woman senator of yours seems to be intent of giving your country a bad image in the world just to save herself. Some of your countrymen to be intent on turning your country into a nacro state.
But as the players in your drugs trade is revealed on by one, in my opinion, Philippines had already become a narco state during the previous administration of Aquino. Even the administration of Arroyo had protected Paul Le Croux, a know drug lord.
No current sitting president in any country I know of is willing to risk his life to save his country from downward spiral due to drugs trade. You guys got one. You will probably never get one again if this president got ousted or killed before he can finished his term. Therefore, it is to the best interest of your country that this guy stay in power and finished his term.
The only issues I had with him is that he should have forbidden the civilian to do extra judicial killings. Then all killings can be blame on drug lords and so on but not to his administration. This is were he miscalculated and give an opening for his enemy to attacked and the drug dealers to kill people in pretense of helping rid the country of drug issues.

Translation: Scrap all your plans, from A to Z. Only one plan trumps them all, and that is Plan D. You are left with only one choice – keep Digong alive and well, or face a Military Junta composed of AFP Visaya, PNP Bato, Speaker Alvarez, Senate President Pimentel, Senator Cayetano, and Bongbong Marcos. Forget about VP Landi – she and the LP have no place or role in Plan D.

You can also forget about “due process”, “human rights” and the “rule of law”. Only one rule will prevail, and that is military rule; only one justice will take over, and that is military justice. Talk to the military about human rights or due process, and let’s see how far you can get.

Forget as well about the US – China and Russia will see to it that America will never gain a foothold on its former colony, NOT with all the reclaimed land and infrastructures—both military and civilian—that China has so far invested in the South China Sea. Already, both China and Russia are jointly conducting military and naval patrols and exercises in the area; in the meantime, the US has avoided the area.

Your analyses look simple yet plausible. So the Left should prefer for the worst while hoping for the best. Army building should be intensified. Peace talk supporters should step up to help build the peoples army equal or more than the reactionary. With out the Peoples Army the masses have nothing.,

The People’s army should be able to reach out to the Patriots in the Military and police that supports Duterte’s agenda and work hand in hand to thwart the Plan D of the plotters.

In Duterte brain, only the military will remove him in office. That is true but he forgot that outside forces are planning to take him out immediately. Somebody from his inner circle will do the job. He who lives by the gun, will die by the gun. He has created big, very big enemies that even our military cannot protect him.

When that happened, that would be the darkest day in your history. It will mark the day of your country spiraling downward to become like Mexico, if you are not yet there. When that happened, the crime you have right now will be nothing compared to the crime you will see in the future.

As the players in your drugs trade is revealed on by one, in my opinion, Philippines had already become a narco state during the previous administration of Aquino.

No current sitting president in any country I know of is willing to risk his life to save his country from downward spiral due to drugs trade. You guys got one. You will probably never get one again if this president got ousted or killed before he can finished his term. Therefore, it is to the best interest of your country that this guy stay in power and finished his term.

The only issues I had with him is that he should have forbidden the civilian to do extra judicial killings. Then all killings can be blame on drug lords and so on but not to his administration. This is were he miscalculated and give an opening for his enemy to attacked and the drug dealers to kill people in pretense of helping rid the country of drug issues.

All the skipticism will eventually will come to fruitful. DU30 had exposed some not all until verified the defects our country has and its too much to handle unless drastic measures is adopted to bring these anomalies into oblivion. DU30 attitude is somehow unpredictable in the strict sense but its moves has a manisfestation of a portent which he himself has known and his immediate trusted men. Those actions DU30 were doing is a groundwork in which everyone must know that the end justifies the means. Meanwhile the governance will comtinue as routine. The pandora is already openned and the skunkweed will precipitate. Thats what it is about of the behaviour of DU30.

Little Tyrant Rodrigo Duterte must be “off his rocker” when, in effect, in that recent speech before soldiers, he virtually asked them to take over control the country when he is deposed one way or the other as President.

As a lawyer, he should know that the Constitution provides precisely for who should take over as President if the incumbent is no longer able to hold the position or is deposed. The Vice President automatically takes over as President. That is what the Constitution says clearly and explicitly.

If the Military should make the mistake of taking over control of the country, ignoring the Constitution in effect, the Military will be guilty of the unconstitutional act of a “coup d-etat.”